


Something's Different

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Comedy, Drabbles, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff without Plot, Innocence, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Pining, Post-Canon, Realization of Feelings, Romance, Slow Burn, hint of kurodai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-03-12 18:12:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13552836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: His eyes flickered over to the side where Narita was talking with Tsukishima, who had his back to Hinata.Hinata frowned as he observed the subtle changes in his teammate. He was a couple centimeters taller judging from the way he towered over Narita, and his regular team t-shirt strained over his developed back muscles and broad shoulders. Hinata always envied the long reach of his arms and the length of his legs, but his jaw dropped as he noticed firmer muscles developing in his biceps and calves. Tsukishima reached up to adjust his glasses, and Hinata could see how adult even his hand looked. He glanced down at his hands and cringed; they looked like a child’s hands. He looked back up to see Tsukishima’s head turned, his face set with his cool nonchalance. Dammit it… He even grew more handsome.





	1. Chapter 1

Hinata was vibrating with excitement to start his second year at Karasuno, his feet moving in a blur as he ran toward the gym for morning practice. He paused just in front of the doors and looked behind him but didn’t see Kageyama running up behind him to beat him. Hinata grinned and stuck his chin in the air as he proudly ripped open the gym doors and stepped inside. His elation at being first was obliterated when he spotted Kageyama already inside with several others as they set up the gym. They locked eyes with each other, and Kageyama puffed up his chest as one of his frightening smiles spread across his face. Hinata growled and pointed his finger at him.

“You win today, Kageyama-kun. But just you wait!” He stomped off as he heard Kageyama scoff, but he just ignored him. There are other ways to beat his friend, and he was determined not to lose. He stopped by the wall where everyone had thrown their bags and set his own stuff down, slipping off his jacket.

“Hey, Hinata! Ready to kick ass this year?” A familiar voice said behind him as he felt a firm pat on his back.

“Sure am, Tanaka-senpai!”

“Ah ha, that’s the spirit!”

His excitement was back with the encouragement from Tanaka, and as he adjusted his knee pads he turned around to see if he could help. It seemed most of the gym was put together, and Kageyama was already working on his jump serves along with Yamaguchi. Ennoshita and Tanaka stood to the side looking over a clipboard; everyone was surprised Ennoshita asked him to be vice-captain, but no one could deny that he would take the role seriously. His eyes flickered over to the side where Narita was talking with Tsukishima, who had his back to Hinata.

Hinata frowned as he observed the subtle changes in his teammate. He was a couple centimeters taller judging from the way he towered over Narita, and his regular team t-shirt strained over his developed back muscles and broad shoulders. Hinata always envied the long reach of his arms and the length of his legs, but his jaw dropped as he noticed firmer muscles developing in his biceps and calves. Tsukishima reached up to adjust his glasses, and Hinata could see how adult even his hand looked. He glanced down at his hands and cringed; they looked like a child’s hands. He looked back up to see Tsukishima’s head turned, his face set with his cool nonchalance. _Dammit it… He even grew more handsome._ Hinata’s body jerked with surprise at the thought and ran into the bathrooms to collect his thoughts.

He vigorously washed his hands just to find something to do and looked up to gaze at his reflection in the mirror. Standing up straight and squaring off his shoulders, he attempted to make himself look older and more mature as well. He sighed when he realized he looked no different than before, feeling more disappointed than when Kageyama had beaten him to the gym.

“Shouyou?” A voice called from behind him. He turned to see Nishinoya standing there, his eyebrows shoved together with worry. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m fine, Senpai. I was just seeing if I’d grown any, and I don’t think I did.”

Nishinoya snorted, “You don’t have to worry about that, you and I use our height to our advantage!”

Hinata gave him a small smile, but still didn’t feel better. “I haven’t gained any muscle either, though.”

“Eh? Are you sure? Take off your shirt, let’s see!”

 

Kageyama was satisfied with his serves and was anxious to practice setting, but Hinata still hadn’t come out of the bathroom yet. He glared at the door, and when his expression failed to produce his teammate, he growled and stomped off to retrieve the idiot himself. He swung the door open and froze, seeing Nishinoya and Hinata standing in front of the bathroom mirror with their shirts off.

“What are you doing?”

“Ack! Kageyama, it isn’t what it looks like!”

“We’re just comparing muscles,” Nishinoya explained with a shrug, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Kageyama narrowed his eyes at Hinata, who flinched from the dark expression. After staring for a few moments, he stepped further into the bathroom and ripped his own shirt off. “I gained way more muscle than you!”

“You did not, you jerk. You have the same amount as before!”

“Yes I did, dumbass! Look at my abs.”

“Oh yeah? Look at mine!”

The door swung open again, and they all turned to see Tsukishima standing in the doorway with a blank expression as he observed the scene in front of him. A smirk crept up as his eyes twinkled with amusement.

“What’s this? Three idiots in the bathroom with their shirts off… and not one of them is Tanaka-senpai?”

Hinata felt heat spreading across his face, suddenly embarrassed at being so exposed. He yanked his shirt off the counter and slipped it over his head. He stomped toward the door and stood in front of his towering teammate, looking straight ahead instead of up at his face. “Move, Tsukishima. We’ve gotta go to practice.”

But Tsukishima didn’t move. Instead he leaned forward, his face drifting closer to Hinata’s. “Hinata,” He said in a low voice, sending shivers down Hinata’s spine, “Do you really think that’s _your_ shirt?”

Hinata blinked in surprise and looked down. The shirt was a few sizes too big, hanging nearly to his knees. He whirled around to see his own shirt nearly being ripped in half as Kageyama tried to fit his arms through. With a yelp he ran over to rescue his shirt as Tsukishima snickered behind him.

“What a good start to the year this has been. I have full confidence in our abilities,” He sneered as he walked back out of the bathroom.

Nishinoya glared after him but glanced back at his struggling kouhai as they exchanged shirts and insults. He was concerned about Hinata’s sudden self-consciousness, but what was strange was that Hinata wasn’t that way around Kageyama. He had appeared confident and competitive as usual. It wasn’t until Tsukishima entered that Hinata flushed bright red. Nishinoya pursed his lips, wondering what suddenly caused this development, and if it was any cause to worry about their team dynamic.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Yamaguchi smiled as he twirled the volleyball in his hand. For the moment he was still just a pinch server, but Ennoshita had been using him to help a couple of the first years with their serves, and having that responsibility entrusted to him filled him with a blossoming confidence. He dribbled the ball a couple times and tossed it into the air, his eyes locked onto it as he thrust his body forward. Like a bird kicking off the ground, Yamaguchi launched himself into the air and whipped his hand into the ball, sending it over the net and zigzagging through the air.

“Whaaaa, Yamaguchi-senpai! That was so cool!”

“Thanks, Rin-kun. Would you like to try it next?”

The first year was about as tall as Yamaguchi, but he seemed more like a big puppy with his childish enthusiasm. His name was Tanaka Rin, but since they already had a Tanaka they deemed him Rin, and he was finally getting to the point where he stopped blushing whenever he heard his name.

“Yes!” He shouted and hopped over to stand next to Yamaguchi, who went over the various steps one more time and let his kouhai give it a try. Rin dribbled the ball a couple times and with his face screwed up in concentration he tossed it into the air and went after it. Yamaguchi paid close attention as he watched Rin slam his hand into the ball and send it in a straight trajectory onto the other side of the court.

“That… was a great jump serve, Rin-kun. The placement of the ball was good that it would’ve been difficult to receive, but it wasn’t a float serve.”

“Eh? What did I do wrong?”

“You need to put more spin on the ball when you--”

“Ha haaaa, that’s what I’m talking about!” Tanaka’s voice interrupted them. He ran over and threw his arm around Rin’s shoulders. “Did you see that power? That’s a Tanaka for you, he’s the spitting image of me!”

Yamaguchi pursed his lips as he tried not to giggle, looking back and forth between his bald senpai and the first year with a mop of brown curls on his head that seemed to move whether Rin was moving or not. He glanced over at the other two first years, Kubo, their shortest recruit at 161 cm and a decent libero, and Ueda who was average height but carried himself with a calm confidence that basically waved a big _Future Team Captain_ flag whenever he kept the other two in check. Kubo was a mess of giggles as they watched the Tanakas ramp up each other’s enthusiasm, and Ueda just shook his head as he smiled.

“Um, Tanaka-senpai, should we keep going or…” Yamaguchi interrupted, knowing they had only so much time before practice was over.

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot. Yachi needs the first years over there to get their sizes for their uniforms.”

“Yay! New uniforms!” Rin shouted as he took off running with Kubo scrambling close behind.

Ueda wandered after with an apologetic smile to Yamaguchi, but he laughed and waved him off.

“Don’t worry, we’ll work on them more tomorrow!” As he stood by himself, he reached for another ball out of the cart and glanced around the gym. Kageyama was with Nishinoya giving him some tips on setting the ball, a maneuver they loved to pull to throw off opposing teams. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes as he spotted Tsukishima hovering over Hinata with Hinata’s water bottle in his hand, holding it out of reach. Hinata was straining himself as his arms scrambled in the air, sometimes grabbing the front of Tsukishima’s shirt to try to pull him lower. Yamaguchi wondered why he didn’t just jump, knowing with Hinata’s capabilities he could easily reach it then. He glanced up at Tsukishima wondering how his friend could be enjoying teasing Hinata so much when he noticed something. Yamaguchi narrowed his eyes, but there was no mistaking it; the smile on Tsukishima’s face wasn’t a smirk, but something much more… gentle? Even across the room he could see he was chuckling and not minding at all that Hinata was nearly climbing up him like a coconut tree to retrieve the bottle from his hand.

It was no surprise that Tsukishima had gained in popularity that year. He had grown in both height and shoulder width over the last several months, and the girls in their school had a fascination for his cool demeanor. It was becoming almost normal for him to be pulled aside in the hallway to hear a confession or two, but what _was_ surprising to everyone else was that he never accepted any of them. Yamaguchi had started to wonder if maybe there was someone specific on Tsukishima’s mind, but before that moment he hadn’t gained any clues to who it might be.

Hinata had finally given up and crossed his arms, his face red with embarrassment and overexertion as he glared up at Tsukishima. The sneer was back on his face now that he held Hinata’s attention and with a shrug held out the water bottle for Hinata, only to pull it away quickly before Hinata’s fingers could grasp it. A growl curled out of Hinata’s throat as Tsukishima snorted.

Yamaguchi’s fascination with the situation was interrupted when he noticed Kageyama approaching the pair, most likely to ask Hinata to spike for him.

“Uh--Kageyama!” Yamaguchi called, and when the cool blue eyes landed on him, suddenly his mind was blank on what he should say. “Did-um... SERVE! Did you want to practice serves with me?”

Kageyama’s eyebrows furrowed down, and any outsider watching would have thought he was angry, but Yamaguchi knew better. Kageyama’s face often grew frightening whenever he had to think about anything that didn’t rely on his instinct. Finally, his eyebrows relaxed and he nodded, walking over to join Yamaguchi.

“Did you need any help with your serves?” Kageyama asked as he drew a ball from the cart.

Yamaguchi stared at Kageyama as if he had grown two heads. He had never offered to help anyone else with anything, and Yamaguchi’s surprise melted into a smile as he realized more than one of his friends had grown up a lot.

“Actually, I would like that. If I can add more power to a normal jump serve, then maybe the other team won’t know which one I’m going to pull.”

“I’ve been wanting to learn a float serve as well. Maybe we can help each other out.”

Yamaguchi brightened even more and nodded, his fluffy brown hair waving with the vigorous motion. “That would be great! Want me to give you pointers first?”

Kageyama nodded eagerly, and Yamaguchi began explaining how to properly hit the ball to give it the correct spin in the air. It only took a few tries before Kageyama could successfully pull one off, and Yamaguchi nearly rolled his eyes at Kageyama’s natural ability with everything related to volleyball. It had taken him much longer to get the concept, but he knew Tsukishima would remind him that he had more common sense about everything else.

As he was reminded of his childhood friend, he glanced across the gym to see Hinata and Tsukishima still standing beside each other, but instead of bickering they seemed to be watching him and Kageyama and discussing something seriously. Yamaguchi turned his attention back to Kageyama as he attempted another float serve, but his mind remained on their other two friends. He didn’t think much about it at the time, but something seemed to have shifted in Tsukishima and Hinata’s relationship when they attended the training camp last year. After that they seemed to have a little more respect for the other’s abilities, and the level of trust they had for each other increased as well during their most heated competitions.

“Can I see you do one?” Kageyama asked, pulling his attention back to what they were doing.

“Oh, sure.” Yamaguchi picked another ball from the cart and focused purely on it. He refused to be too distracted when others were relying on him, especially when the skills they were building would help them in future competitions. After a couple dribbles he tossed it into the air and chased after it. He smiled in midair as his hand contacted the ball in just the right way. He landed on his feet as he watched the ball adjusting its trajectory when suddenly Hinata dashed onto the court and attempted to receive it. Most of Hinata’s focus had been on using his speed to make it to the ball and not predicting its position, and it ended up smacking him in the face.

“Nice receive,” Tsukishima called as he joined Hinata with a delighted smirk.

“Shut up, Stingyshima. At least I made it to the ball.”

Tsukishima snorted and looked at Yamaguchi through the net. “We were talking about working on our receives, so you two can continue your serves.”

Yamaguchi nodded. “Good idea!” He grabbed a ball for him and Kageyama and handed it to him. “How was that, by the way? Do you have any questions about the float serve?”

Kageyama shook his head, taking the ball from his hands. “Nope, watching you do it was enough. I just need to perfect my form I think.”

“Oh,” Yamaguchi answered, feeling heat form in his cheeks. He didn’t think Kageyama meant to compliment him, but to him it felt like one of the biggest ones he’d ever been rewarded. As they served their respective balls over the net to their teammates, Yamaguchi’s thoughts went back to Tsukishima and Hinata.

“Hey, Kageyama? Do you know if Hinata likes anybody?”

The question must have caught Kageyama off guard, the ball he had just tossed in the air came back down and landed on his face. “What?! Why would I know something like that?”

“Aren’t you best friends?”

“Well, I guess. He’s my only friend so I guess we’re best friends?”

Yamaguchi laughed as he tossed the ball for another jump. Once he hit it over to the others he turned back to Kageyama. “He’s not your only friend, what about me?”

Kageyama’s mouth fell open, staring at Yamaguchi as if he had revealed the secret to all life. “We’re friends?”

“Yeah, of course. Aren’t we?”

“YES!” Kageyama shouted and immediately hunched his shoulders, his face flushing bright red. “Ahem… yes, we are.”

Yamaguchi giggled and grabbed another ball. “Well, if you hear Hinata say anything about it, will you let me know? Oh, as long as he didn’t swear you to secrecy. I wouldn’t have you going against your word.”

“Yeah… sure.”

“Now, are you going to help me with my jump serve?”

Like a switch turning on, flustered Kageyama was replaced with volleyball mode Kageyama, and like a textbook he rattled off pointers for Yamaguchi.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look out for a brief cameo from two of my fav captains! ;)

“For this problem you’re gonna use this formula here,” Tsukishima said as he pointed with his pencil. Hinata scrunched up his face, his eyes flickering over every part of it as if searching for something.

“But, how did you know to use that one?!”

“The hint is right here in the first part where--”

A chime from Hinata’s phone interrupted him, and Tsukishima’s golden eyes flashed at the offending device. They could hardly get through one session of tutoring without it going off and distracting the energetic ball of orange fluff leaning over his desk.

“Ah! Did you guys hear that Yamamoto-san is Nekoma’s captain this year? And Fukunaga-san is Vice Captain.”

“No, I didn’t hear that,” Yamaguchi answered as he put away his empty bento. “How did you find out?”

“Kenma told me just now. He says we’re gonna be invited back for training camps. Ahhhhh, I’m so pumped!” Hinata cheered, pumping his fists in the air.

Tsukishima glanced back down at the phone as it chimed again. _Kozume Kenma_. He was the culprit distracting Hinata at all hours of the day while Tsukishima’s headphones were resting on his shoulders instead of on his ears because he was taking precious lunchtime to help Hinata with his homework.

“You know the same rules apply this year, I’m sure. If you don’t do well on your tests, you’ll miss some of the training camps.” A satisfied smirk slid up Tsukishima’s face as he witnessed a look of terror flash in Hinata’s eyes.

“But, you’re helping me, right?”

“I won’t if you keep getting distracted. Now sit down and solve this problem like I told you to.”

Hinata huffed and plopped down in the seat he was borrowing and set to work, his lips pressed tightly together. Tsukishima’s face softened as he observed him. _Cute… his stupid face is so cute._ He flinched at that train of thought, realizing his inner monologue had lately been sneaking that c-word in whenever he thought about Hinata. He gave his head a shake and slid his attention to the other mentor and idiot combo at the table. A dark aura seemed to be hovering over Kageyama, his face more frightening than usual as he stared at an oblivious Yamaguchi. Tsukishima was torn with his curiosity to know why The King would be angry with his friend while the other half of him was feeling his protective nature flare up since Yamaguchi was pathetically harmless.

“Yamaguchi,” Kageyama grumbled, and the freckled brunette gave a yelp when he saw the murderous look he was being given.

“Y-Yes?”

Kageyama’s face screwed up even more and he suddenly shoved his bento across the table and opened it.

“ _Wouldyoulikeariceball_?!” He shouted, drawing looks from other students trying to eat a peaceful lunch.

After the initial shock of his shouting faded, Tsukishima sputtered into his hand. Yamaguchi’s eyes softened, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Um, no thank you. I’m full from my lunch.”

Kageyama blinked and slowly withdrew his bento, his eyes drifting down to the table.

“Oh...okay.”

“I’ll have one!” Hinata said as he tried reaching for the bento.

“I didn’t ask you, Dumbass!”

“But I’m still hungry!”

“You’re always hungry!”

“So are you!”

“Enough,” Tsukishima growled and tapped his pencil on Hinata’s homework sheet. Tsukishima kept his eyes focused on Hinata until he was sure he was making progress and then glanced over to Kageyama. He was also working on his sheet with Yamaguchi’s guidance, but he seemed to be distracted as his eyes flickered up and down from Yamaguchi to his paper. Whenever they would lock eyes, Kageyama blushed and put his nose to his paper, his hand scribbling furiously though Tsukishima could tell he was making no progress.

Tsukishima’s eyebrow quirked up as he observed the odd behavior from his teammate; he seemed nervous to be in Yamaguchi’s presence though Yamaguchi couldn’t intimidate a hamster. And the blushing, something that only happened to Kageyama when he was being complimented enthusiastically but Yamaguchi was only occasionally saying _good work_ whenever he got anything right.

Suddenly everything became clear, and a malicious smirk crawled back on Tsukishima’s face as he realized Kageyama was probably crushing on his friend. Thoughts began to spiral through his head as he began to make plans for Kageyama’s suffering when another chime came from Hinata’s phone. Before Hinata could even glance at it, Tsukishima’s arm reached over and snatched the phone away, putting it on silent.

“What’re you doing?!”

“Keeping it til the end of break. You _still_ haven’t finished that stupid problem because you keep getting distracted.”

“But I can’t text Kenma during class.”

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, a petulant rage simmering inside him that was nearing a boil. “Oh, would it seriously kill your _boyfriend_ if he didn’t hear from you in a couple hours?”

Hinata screwed up his face in anger, but Tsukishima didn’t miss the light flush on his cheeks, adding a little pain in his chest to his rage. “He’s not my boyfriend, Stingyshima!”

The barest of breaths escaped Tsukishima’s lips. “Get to work and I’ll give it back later. We’re running out of time.”

Hinata’s shoulders slumped, but with a nod of his fluffy, orange head he got back to his homework.

 

Kuroo yawned loudly in the silent library, earning a dirty look from his study partner across from him.

“Ha, sorry,” He whispered.

Daichi rolled his eyes but gave him a small smile. “That’s okay, I know you’re tired. But you should learn to yawn like a human being instead of a lion.”

Kuroo snorted, and even that sound seemed to carry through the columns of musty books and disgruntled students. He hunched his shoulders up and focused back to his laptop. Beside it his phone lit up with a text. He only spared it a glance when he saw it was from Kenma. As his hand slid toward it, Daichi’s eyes locked on him again. Kuroo smiled apologetically.

“I know we have a no phones rule while we’re here, but it’s from Kenma. He never texts me while he’s at school, it might be important.”

“That’s fine, make sure he’s okay.”

With a quick smile of appreciation to Daichi, Kuroo’s eyes flickered over Kenma’s text.

_Is Daichi-san with you? Shoyou’s not answering his phone and I’m worried._

“Apparently Chibi-chan isn’t texting him back? I think he wanted your help.”

“Hm, that is weird. Hinata’s really good about texting back.” Daichi checked the time and nodded. It should be about lunchtime, so he decided his best chance was Yamaguchi. He slid his phone out and began to text his reliable kouhai. “By the way, how’d he know I’d be with you?”

Kuroo shrugged. “Lucky guess?” Both glanced up at the same time, and when they locked eyes flinched and returned their eyes to their phone screens with awkward chuckles.

 

Another phone chimed, and Tsukishima felt his temple throb with agitation. This time, however, the phone was Yamaguchi’s and since he wasn’t a repeat offender there was little he could do about it. He glanced over to see Yamaguchi’s eyebrows furrowed as he read over the text.

“It’s from Daichi-san, wanting to know if Hinata was okay?”

“Eh? Daichi-san’s worried about me all the way from Tokyo?”

“It’s probably just his residual sempai-senses tingling. I bet you’re gonna trip and fall on your face when you leave,” Tsukishima teased.

“Well, he said Kenma texted Kuroo to ask Daichi if he knew why you weren’t answering your phone.”

Tsukishima’s mouth dropped open. Hinata’s phone had been sitting in his pocket for less than five minutes, and already there was a search party out for Hinata stemming all the way from Tokyo.

“That’s ridiculous. Just tell them he’s busy!”

Yamaguchi began typing out a message back to Daichi, glancing up at Hinata for a moment. “I didn’t realize you were so close with Kozume-kun. It sounds like he really cares about you.”

Tsukishima felt like murdering his best friend, but for the sake of their long-standing friendship he settled on furious glare instead. Though Yamaguchi wasn’t looking, he winced as he could sense the dangerous vibes wafting from his friend.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” He mumbled softly.

“Yeah, he does! We’ve become really good friends, which is cool cuz he doesn’t really open up to a lot of people. His tosses are fun to hit, too.”

Kageyama stiffened and his head jerked toward his friend. “What do you mean his tosses are fun to hit? What makes them special? Are they higher than mine? Slower, faster? Are they closer to the net or further away, why are they better?!”

“Ack, calm down! I didn’t say they were better, I just said they were fun to hit! Besides, he only does a few and then leaves so it’s not like I hit them often.”

Hinata’s reassurance did little to wipe the look of furious desperation on Kageyama’s face until a hand reached out to grasp his across the desk.

“Kageyama, don’t worry about it. You’re the genius setter, remember? Kozume-kun’s good, but no one’s calling him a genius. Besides, everyone knows _you_ are Hinata’s setter, right?” The combination of Yamaguchi’s soft touch, radiant smile and soothing words seemed to melt Kageyama into a puddle of blushing and dreamy eyes.

“Yeah… you’re right.”

Hinata blinked, not comprehending the change of demeanor over his friend. He glanced at Tsukishima to find the blonde smirking at Kageyama. Hinata had no idea what was going on, but Tsukishima seemed to. The chime rang out through the classroom and hallway, signaling the end to lunch. Hinata glanced at his half-filled homework and sighed.

“Why is this so hard?!”

“It wouldn't be so hard if you spent more time listening and working instead of chatting and getting distracted every few seconds. Here’s your phone back,” Tsukishima grumbled, reluctantly sliding the device out of his pocket and setting it on the desk.

“Thanks.” Hinata slipped it into his jacket pocket and flinched when he heard a crinkling sound from inside. “Oh! I almost forgot, here. Eat this before practice, you didn’t eat enough lunch. Come on, Kageyama!” Hinata gripped onto a listless Kageyama’s arm and drug him out of the room before Tsukishima could say anything about the protein bar he had set in front of him. Beside him Yamaguchi sighed.

“Maybe Yachi would have better luck teaching them. I know it’s probably annoying for you.”

“Yachi’s got enough on her plate, I don’t mind doing it.”

Yamaguchi glanced at his friend who was still staring at the bar on his desk. Cautiously he reached out and picked it up, turning it over in his hand. His lips began curved up slightly and he slipped the protein bar carefully into his bag as if it was a little treasure.

Yamaguchi smiled and turned his attention to the front of the class. He couldn’t wait to drag out Tsukishima’s blossoming feelings for Hinata, but he knew that if he questioned him too soon it could backfire in a terrible way. Luckily, Yamaguchi was a patient person and looked forward to observing them more in their afternoon practice.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long to get back to this! Even if it takes me a while to update, I'll probably continue this one regardless. Let me know what you think, I love your comments!! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Tsukishima flopped onto the gym floor and rested his back against the cool brick. He closed his eyes as he tried to catch his breath, swiping his arm across his forehead to clear the droplets of sweat from his skin. Karasuno was fighting harder than ever to prove themselves at Interhigh this year, determined not to let the other schools in Miyagi swallow them up before they could reach Nationals. Though he had to admit he was just as caught up in the competitive energy to become the representatives of their prefecture, Tsukishima wished it didn’t require every ounce of vitality he had. His body felt heavy and clumsy, and his bodily exhaustion had even started affecting his brain as he struggled to formulate even the simplest of strategies.

Tsukishima gasped as a cool, water bottle was pressed against his cheek, and he cracked open his eye to see Hinata gazing at him with concern.

“Are you alright, Tsukki? Did you eat properly today?”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and took the water bottle from him, tipping it into his mouth to rehydrate.

“I ate just fine.”

“You mean you ate the normal amount. You’re so big, I think you should be eating more! Coach has great advise on what to eat to pack on muscle.”

Tsukishima smirked as his eyes slipped over Hinata’s slender frame. “And how’s that working out for you?”

Hinata rolled his eyes, his lips curling into a slight smile. Tsukishima had noticed his jabs rolling off the ginger’s back more easily, which was impressive with his ability to dig at everyone’s weakest points. Instead of yelling or retorting, Hinata narrowed his eyes at Tsukishima’s face and slowly reached out to pluck off his glasses.

The entire world blurred, the gym transforming into a mass of beiges and blobs hopping around the gym as they continued drills. The only thing that remained in his focus was Hinata, his orange hair shining like a beacon. His energy was even evident as he carefully wiped Tsukishima’s glasses on his shirt. Once he was finished, he leaned forward to replace them on Tsukishima’s face but paused. Instead he slipped them onto his own face and gave his brightest smile.

“What do you think? I look smart, right?”

Tsukishima snorted and leaned a bit closer to get a better look. From there he could see Hinata’s smile falter slightly, his brown eyes widening at the diminishing distance between them. Suddenly Tsukishima’s body felt even hotter, as if the heat from his body was mixing with Hinata’s and multiplying exponentially. He gulped as he soaked in the vision of Hinata in his glasses, and internally he couldn’t deny that Hinata looked adorable in them. He wanted to reach out and pinch those cheeks that were beginning to redden. His hand began to drift toward Hinata subconsciously, and when he noticed he gripped onto Hinata’s shirt instead and pulled him closer. Hinata’s lips parted as he gasped, but Tsukishima tried to ignore it as he plucked his glasses off Hinata’s nose.

“If only you could increase your intelligence by putting on a pair of glasses,” Tsukishima said slyly, grinning at Hinata and replacing the glasses back onto his own face. Hinata fluttered his eyes as Tsukishima released his shirt and leaned back against the wall. His face looked a little flushed, and without a word Hinata hopped onto his feet and ran to the bathroom. Tsukishima stared after him, wondering what happened when Tanaka called out to him.

“Oy, Tsukishima! Are you bullying Hinata again, you asshole?”

Tsukishima glanced across the gym at Tanaka, who earned a smack across the head by Ennoshita for calling his kouhai an asshole. Tsukishima frowned, wondering if he had pushed Hinata too far, and why it should even bother him that it might have.

 

Hinata locked himself in a bathroom stall, his back up against the door as he drew in a shuddering breath. He dug his fingers into his chest and felt the rhythmic drumming of his heart as it threatened to escape. Tsukishima’s face hovering just in front of his had sent his entire body into a tizzy, and he hoped it wasn’t too obvious to his fellow second year. He wouldn’t put it past Tsukishima to make fun of him forever if he knew of his blossoming crush.

Hinata bit his lip as he tried to figure out what to do. On one hand if Tsukishima’s presence was flustering him so much, the obvious reaction should be to avoid him. But they were teammates and working with him was required. Besides, Tsukishima was practically psychic and would easily see that he was avoiding him, and the last thing he needed was probing questions.  

If he does nothing, however, he was liable to do something stupid… very stupid. In that moment when Tsukishima had a hold of his shirt, Hinata wanted to wrap his arms around his neck as kiss him. He wanted to slip his fingers through his soft, blonde hair and feel those long arms wrap around his back.

Hinata shook his head from side to side; getting lost in fantasies like that was becoming a common occurrence. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. He needed to calm his mind and get back out to practice before his teammates began to worry about him. Before he had a chance to move, however, the bathroom door swung open.

“Hinata?” Tsukishima called, and Hinata’s entire body stiffened.

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright? Why’d you run off like that?” His voice softened as he approached the stall door resting against Hinata’s back. Hinata’s eyes flickered around, looking for some sort of excuse.

“Oh, ummm, I suddenly didn’t feel well. I didn’t want to throw up on you, so I ran.”

There was silence for a few moments and then he felt the door give a little as Tsukishima rested against it from the other side.

“You didn’t look sick, I’ve seen you sick before. Was it what I said?”

Hinata cocked his head as he tried to remember what Tsukishima said.

“What do you mean?”

“About you not being intelligent. I was just teasing you, you know.”

“Oh, I know.”

Tsukishima sighed. “I know you could be smarter if you tried, but your head is filled with just volleyball. No, actually if we cracked your head open I’m pretty sure a volleyball would fall out of it.”

Hinata laughed, knowing he couldn’t refute it.

“But I think you’re smart in your own dumb way. If you tried harder, I know you could improve.”

Hinata turned around and unlocked the door. He felt Tsukishima lift off, and he slowly opened it to look at him face to face.

“Are you… feeling guilty?”

“What? No.”

Hinata rushed forward, placing his ear onto Tsukishima’s chest as the tall, blonde stiffened awkwardly with a yelp.

“Wow! There really is a heart in there!” Hinata laughed as Tsukishima shoved his face back, his own cheeks tinted pink as he glared down at him.

“Idiot.”

Tsukishima huffed out of the bathroom with a prancing Hinata at his heels.

“Tsukishima! Don’t feel guilty, I’m alright! Do you need a hug? Tsukishimaaaaa!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit by bit a little progression! Don't worry, I won't let it go on forever, ha ha.  
> As always I love your comments!


	5. Chapter 5

Takeda sensei had worked tirelessly that term to increase the number of practice matches Karasuno had with local schools before the looming Interhigh. Luckily with Karasuno’s success in the Spring, more schools were looking forward to pitting their team against them. It was with great excitement that Takeda announced that a joint scrimmage would take place that Saturday at Sendai Gymnasium between Karasuno and three other schools: Date Tech, Johzenji, and Aoba Johsai.

It was a great success, every team winning some games and losing others, but the greatest benefit was every team’s renewed competitive spirit. Yamaguchi may not have been on the court as long as the others, but he soaked in the energy surrounding him and paid close attention to the techniques of the other servers. The only thing bringing down his spirit was seeing Tsukishima’s frustration from playing volleyball all day, particularly against the unquenchably energetic Johzenji team. He knew his friend did enjoy playing volleyball and cared deeply about winning, but he despised spending more time on it than he needed to. Hinata was the opposite, so Yamaguchi tried to focus on him more as the small middle blocker seemed to gain energy the longer he played.

Yamaguchi periodically glanced between the two, especially when he noticed them working together seamlessly on the court. He sensed an unspoken trust between the two, and he wondered just how much stronger it would be if they admitted their feelings for each other. At first, he was only certain of his best friend’s fondness for his boisterous teammate, but the number of times he’s caught Hinata blushing and getting frazzled around Tsukishima made him feel more certain that the feelings were requited. They just needed a push, and Yamaguchi was just itching to give them that if he could manage it.

It was their final set of the day and Kageyama stepped up to serve. Yamaguchi quieted his thoughts and paid close attention. He counted the number of dribbles before the ball settled into Kageyama’s hand, zeroing in on the total focus radiating from his stern face. It was a quiet moment, a breath held in anticipation before the server took flight. He enjoyed watching all the servers performing their craft, but no one was like Kageyama. Yamaguchi’s heart picked up speed as Kageyama moved, tossing the ball high in the air and chasing after it with his perfect form. His eyes widened slightly as he realized it wasn’t a typical jump serve, and he watched as the ball wiggled in the air and slammed onto the court without even a finger touching it.

Karasuno’s cheers filled the gym, even pulling the attention from the court next to them. The expert service ace shot their energy level straight up, but unfortunately, they were playing Johzenji. The other team was just as impressed and were that much more excited to try to catch the next ball coming at them.  

Once all the games were finished, most of the players dragged their feet through the locker rooms and gathered up their belongings. Yamaguchi stifled his laughter at seeing Hinata bouncing from team to team, greeting old friends and rivals who could never seem to hate the energetic orange fluff. He heard Tsukishima click his tongue as he watched as well, and he glanced up to see his friend with _that_ look on his face, the one he got whenever Hinata lavished attention on anyone but him. Yamaguchi was glad his friend felt so strongly about it, spending most of his life apathetic to most things, but as his gaze went back to Hinata he felt a pain in his own chest wondering if Tsukishima was feeling jealous. If he saw the person he liked being surrounded by Miyagi’s most impressive volleyball players, he’d probably feel horrible as well.

Suddenly he heard Tsukishima’s breath draw in sharply only for him to turn away and start walking out of the gym. Yamaguchi refocused back on Hinata to see Aone from Date Tech leaning over him, his huge hand ruffling through Hinata’s orange locks. Yamaguchi pressed his lips together and sighed. It wasn’t like Aone was kissing him or hugging him, but for Tsukishima to get that angry only proved how deep his feelings for Hinata were.

His thoughts began to spiral ferociously, trying to formulate some sort of plan to break all this gathered tension between them. He chewed on his nails as he followed Tsukishima onto the bus with the rest of their teammates following behind. He was about to sit next to him when he suddenly froze, a light bulb springing to life above his head.

“What’re you doing, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima grumbled, settling next to the window.

“Um, I wanted to talk to Kageyama about something. Is it okay if I sit with him?”

Tsukishima cocked an eyebrow and gave him a smirk.

“That’s fine with me. I’m sure the King would enjoy that.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, do what you want,” He replied with a shrug and slipped his headphones over his ears. Yamaguchi slid into the seat across the aisle and gave Kageyama a wave as he walked towards him.

“Hey, do you think you could sit with me?”

Kageyama stopped, his body jerking a little when Hinata ran into him from behind.

“You want me to sit with you?”

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something on our way back. Is that okay?”

Kageyama’s eyes widened just a bit and he nodded his head vigorously. He rushed forward and fell into the seat next to Yamaguchi, gripping his gym bag and sitting as stiff as a board.

“You can relax, it’s not a big deal,” Yamaguchi snickered.

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

Yamaguchi smiled as Kageyama slumped more naturally in the seat and slipped his bag off to store under the seat. He glanced up for just a moment to see Hinata sitting next to Tsukishima, but his face looked sad and frustrated, which wasn’t what Yamaguchi expected. Next to Hinata Tsukishima was gazing out the window, completely ignoring his teammate next to him. He was tempted to shoot Tsukishima a scathing text about missing a perfect opportunity, but he reminded himself that they still haven’t had a conversation about his crush on Hinata.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Yamaguchi startled at Kageyama’s voice, and he laughed nervously as he leaned back in his seat.

“Oh, well I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while about your workout routine?”

“My workout routine? Why?”

“Well, you put a great deal of power behind your jump serves, and I’d like to do the same. However, my strength isn’t up to par, and I know I need to gain a bit more muscle. That’s why I thought I’d go to you, since you’re very… um, toned.” Suddenly Yamaguchi felt his cheeks grow warm. When he said the words in his head, it seemed perfectly natural and complementary. As soon as they were spoken, it sounded like Yamaguchi had been checking him out. Had he been? He did sometimes lose track of time when he gazed at Kageyama’s broad back or his flexed bicep. But he found himself staring into his steel blue eyes just as often, so it wasn’t just about his body. Wait, what?

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ve been wanting to increase my power as well,” Kageyama said with a nod, and Yamaguchi sighed with relief that he hadn’t seemed bothered by his statement.

“Why would you need to?”

“My serve is powerful, but it’s still not on par with Oikawa-san’s, or Ushijima’s. My goal is to exceed them.”

Yamaguchi gulped, remembering the intensity of those serves and being thankful he didn’t have to go against them anymore since both Oikawa and Ushijima had graduated. To think that not only was Kageyama looking to be better than them, but the way he said it made it sound entirely plausible. Yamaguchi smiled and shook his head at his teammate.

“I think that’s what I admire most about you, Kageyama... your confidence.”

Surprise flickered across Kageyama’s face, and Yamaguchi nearly gasped as his pale cheeks began to flush.

“Th-Thanks, though I don’t know why you’d struggle with confidence. You’re not our pinch server just for show.”

It was Yamaguchi’s turn to feel his face grow hot. He licked his lips and nervously played with his team jacket, drawing his eyes away from Kageyama’s intense gaze.

“Thank you, though I still have a lot of room to grow.”

“Of course. It takes a lot of hard work for a person to reach the peak of their potential.”

Yamaguchi hummed in agreement and let his eyes wander a bit, feeling a little overwhelmed by the encouraging words Kageyama had given him. He was on the cusp of overanalyzing when his gaze landed across the aisle from them.

Hinata had fallen fast asleep and was leaning against Tsukishima’s arm. The blonde could no longer ignore him, but he didn’t look irritated as he normally would in that situation. Yamaguchi couldn’t place the exact emotion on his friend’s face; it was almost like Tsukishima couldn’t decide what to think or do about the ginger who was using him for a pillow.

Slowly he moved his arm behind Hinata, using his other hand to hold him steady as he wrapped the newly freed arm around him. Hinata seemed to melt into Tsukishima’s side, not stirring a bit from his deep slumber. Tsukishima continued to stare down at him, Yamaguchi finally placing his emotion at half thrilled and half terrified at having Hinata snuggled up to him.

Tsukishima cautiously lifted the arm that was wrapped around Hinata until his hand was level with his head. With a gulp he nestled his fingers into Hinata’s orange curls and released a sigh. After a few moments Tsukishima leaned his head back against the window and gazed out at the passing scenery, his hand still gently stroking through Hinata’s hair.

Yamaguchi took the chance to fish out his phone and lean forward, snapping a few quick photos before Tsukishima noticed.

“What are you doing?” Kageyama whispered, and Yamaguchi flinched as his eyes flickered over, realizing he was leaning into Kageyama’s space.

“Sorry! I just-- you know, that doesn’t happen every day,” He stammered, gesturing his head towards the pair across the aisle. Kageyama glanced over and cocked his head, observing the two for a moment.

“Are they together?”

“No, not yet, anyways. Has Hinata not told you anything?”

Kageyama shrugged and turned back to Yamaguchi.

“Not really. We don’t talk about that stuff, just volleyball. Is that why you asked me if he liked anybody?”

Yamaguchi gave him a sheepish grin and nodded.

“Yeah, I was wondering what he thought of Tsukishima.”

“So, Tsukishima likes Hinata?”

“Um, I don’t know! He never said anything, but I feel like he does with the way he’s been acting. I just wish he’d do something about it.”

“Can you blame him? It’s scary telling someone you like them.”

Yamaguchi paused, thinking about Kageyama’s words, the simple truth of them. There was something else about them that stirred Yamaguchi up in an uncomfortable way.

“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

Yamaguchi felt like a hole was burning through him from the way Kageyama’s eyes were staring back at him. Finally, he looked away and studied the seat in front of him instead.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“Was this in the past, or is it now that you like someone?”

“Now.”

“And you’re afraid to say something? But, it’s hard to imagine anyone refusing you.”

Kageyama’s head jerked back towards him, so quickly that Yamaguchi flinched.

“You mean that?”

“Yeah, you’re so talented and good-looking, I mean. Even if you’re refused, I feel like it wouldn’t be that hard for you to find someone who would be crazy about you.”

Kageyama didn’t respond, but slowly turned his head away. Yamaguchi’s stomach felt sick, thinking about who might be lingering on Kageyama’s mind and feeling a little jealous. Instead he opened his phone and glanced at the picture of Tsukishima and Hinata. He thought about sending it to his friend but wondered if it would only set them back further. With a sigh he closed it, slipped it back into his pocket and gazed out the window.

It was quiet for a while, the rocking of the bus nearly luring him to sleep when he heard Kageyama clear his throat.

“Would you like to work out with me?” He said, so softly Yamaguchi almost thought he misheard him.

“Work out with you?”

“Yeah, that way I can show you what I do. Since you were asking.”

“Yes! That would be perfect. It’s always better seeing than being told anyways, right? But… I wouldn’t want to hold you back.”

Kageyama’s lips curled into a soft smile as he looked at him. It wasn’t one of his frightening smiles when he was trying to be as amiable as the rest of the team and failing miserably. It was one of his real and pure smiles that always turned Yamaguchi’s insides into mush.

“You wouldn’t hold me back. I always do better when I’m feeling competitive, so it’ll help having you there. If you don’t mind spending extra time with me, outside of school and volleyball.”

Yamaguchi beamed back at him and shook his head.

“I wouldn’t mind at all.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh I feel like it's been a million years since I've updated this, I'm so sorry. I had to back off some of my WIP's to prepare for kurodai week, but now it's almost here, yay!!!! Anyways, updates should be coming sooner, though I don't think I'll have too many chapters left before wrapping it up. I hope you all enjoy it! Comments definitely help fuel inspiration :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This picks up where the last chapter left off but from Hinata's perspective. It's very very short, I'm sorry but it's sweet!

Hinata let out a yawn before he even opened his eyes, smiling as he snuggled into the warmth surrounding him. His forehead crinkled as he breathed in the scent, taking a moment before he recognized it. Once he did, his eyes flew open and glanced around until they settled on Tsukishima’s sleeping face. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he wondered what to do. He didn’t want to pull away, but he didn’t want to make Tsukishima uncomfortable either, especially knowing how pissy he was earlier. He began to move back slightly when he felt a weight pinning him down. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Tsukishima’s long arm wrapped around him.

Hinata felt his insides melt at the sight. He wasn’t sure if the tall blonde was just putting up with him, but he would have liked nothing better than to stay put all wrapped up in Tsukishima’s grasp.

Since he could hardly move anyways, Hinata relaxed and laid his head back against Tsukishima’s side. For a few minutes he stayed like that, listening to the steady heartbeat drumming against his ear. Slowly his eyes drifted back up, wanting to observe the details of Tsukishima’s face without him knowing or making fun of him. His headphones, unfortunately, were still covering his ears, but he could see the fan of his light eyelashes against his pale cheeks, his long elegant neck, and his messy, blonde hair that looked so soft his fingers craved to reach out and touch.

He continued to stare as his heart grew heavy. He was growing tired of this silly crush he had. Tsukishima was smart, athletic, and well-liked; Hinata felt like he didn’t have a chance. Starting tomorrow, he’d work on letting it go. He was a second year already, he needed to grow up and be a good example for their underclassmen. Images began to flash in his mind of Tsukishima moving forward, getting a girlfriend and leaving him behind. It took him a few more minutes of that depressing thought process to realize he had tears slipping down his cheeks and getting Tsukishima’s shirt damp.

He jerked back and tried to wipe it off, but the movement startled the tall middle blocker from his sleep. When he looked down and saw Hinata crying, he ripped his headphones off and leaned down.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered, and Hinata gasped at the sound of his voice.

“N-Nothing.”

Tsukishima frowned, wrapping his arm around Hinata tighter and drawing him in closer. His other hand slipped up and wiped the tears off Hinata’s cheeks.

“Hinata, tell me what’s wrong.”

Hinata pursed his lips. “It’s stupid.”

“I’m sure it is, but I’d like to know all the same.”

Despite the jab, Tsukishima’s tone was gentle, and it eased the tension in Hinata’s muscles.

“There’s no point in not telling you, I guess. I’ve liked you for a while, but I know you’ll never be interested in someone like me. Especially when you’re popular enough to have anyone you want. I decided to give up and try to get over it as soon as possible, so you don’t have to worry about me bugging you or— “

“You’re right. That is just about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Hinata winced and felt more tears coming when Tsukishima’s hand cupped his face and tipped it upwards. Their lips brushed lightly together, Hinata sucking in a quick breath of surprise before melting into the kiss. He reached out and curled his fingers in Tsukishima’s shirt, pulling him in closer at the same time Tsukishima’s arm drew him in further as well. It was soft and quiet, neither wanting to be heard over the snores echoing throughout the bus.

Tsukishima drew back and poked a finger against Hinata’s forehead.

“Don’t decide someone else’s feelings for them, Idiot. Well, you’re mine now, so that’s that.”

As confused and euphoric Hinata was from their kiss, he snorted at Tsukishima’s petulant tone.

“I’m yours? You haven’t even told me how you feel.”

“I thought the kiss would be sufficient?”

“No, it’s not, Stingyshima. I want to know, pleeeease?” He asked with a beaming smile, fluttering his eyelashes for extra effect. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes and tried to glare down at him, but Hinata spotted the corners of his lips curling up slightly.

“Fine, I like you, too. But if we’re going to do this, I have some rules.”

“Huh? Like what?”

“Stop texting Kenma so much, it’s annoying. And stop becoming best friends with everybody you meet. Especially don’t let them touch you, like that Date Tech middle blocker did earlier.”

“Aone? When did he touch me?”

“He ruffled your hair.”

Hinata snorted. “I would have never believed you were so possessive.”

“I wouldn’t have to be if you weren’t so friendly with everyone. Would it kill you to ignore people?”

“Yeah, probably. How about this, I tell Kenma I’m dating you now, so I can’t text _as much_. And I’ll still talk to my friends on other teams but stand back so they can’t touch me. Deal?”

Tsukishima sniffed and gave his shoulders a shrug.

“Fine, it’ll do, I suppose.”

Hinata giggled and reached his arms around Tsukishima’s neck, planting a big kiss on his lips. He felt Tsukishima’s lips turn into a smile as well, the rest of his body relaxing and wrapping around his body.

Suddenly the bus lurched to a stop and Ukai’s voice boomed throughout the bus.

“Alright, we’re back! Wake up and get off!”

They both flinched away from each other and faced forward with stiff backs. Hinata glanced around but luckily no one had caught them, most of their teammates rubbing their eyes and yawning. They slid out into the aisle and trudged off the bus, everyone spreading out in different directions while Ukai reminded them of their next practice times and to get something wholesome to eat. Hinata and Tsukishima lingered for a moment, waiting for the others to walk away enough that they couldn’t be overheard. Nearly everyone had left except for Yamaguchi and Kageyama, who were watching them expectantly.

“What are you two doing?” Tsukishima asked, and Yamaguchi cocked his head in confusion.

“Don’t we always walk home together, Tsukki?”

“Hm, is it okay if I walk a bit with Hinata? I’ll call you later.”

“Oh, sure that’s fine...OH!! Yeah! That’s great! See you guys later, come on, Kageyama.”

Kageyama was about to protest, but Yamaguchi grabbed his hand and he allowed himself to be pulled away like a puppy on a leash with his face beet red.

“Tch, he already knows.”

Hinata looked up at Tsukishima, who despite the irritated tone had a smirk on his face.

“Who knows what?”

“Yamaguchi knows about us.”

“How could he know that?”

Tsukishima sighed and eased his glasses further up on his nose.

“I’m not surprised, he is my best friend and I’m sure he’s noticed by abnormal behavior. He’s just smart enough not to mention it.”

“You were behaving abnormally?” Hinata asked as they began to wander down the street, taking in a deep breath as the warm evening hair grazed against his face.

“I’m sure I was, you’ve been having a horrible effect on me lately, it’s so annoying. Hasn’t Kageyama noticed anything about you? I doubt you were subtler than I was.”

“Nah, he only notices if I’m distracted while playing. Speaking of which, he’s been acting weird as well, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, he has a crush on Yamaguchi.”

Hinata burst out laughing, and Tsukishima cracked a smile himself.

“That’s awesome, do you think Yamaguchi likes him too?”

“If he doesn’t yet, I’m sure he will eventually. He has a soft spot for cold-hearted bastards.”

“Hmm, I hope so. I think it would be good for Kageyama.”

“Not that I care at all about His Majesty, but I agree.”

Hinata giggled and snuck his hand inside Tsukishima’s, who closed his long fingers around his in response, though he refused to look at Hinata with a light flush creeping on his ears. Hinata sighed cheerfully and let them walk for a while in silence. He knew Tsukishima was growing fonder of Kageyama as a friend and teammate, though they’ll always mix like oil and water. Maybe he’ll try talking to Kageyama himself about Yamaguchi and help him along, since he was already an experienced and successful party when it came to entering a relationship with a crush.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably add a couple more chapters and then wrap it up! I know these are just short drabbles, but next time I do a Tsukihina I really want to give them an epic story.


	7. Chapter 7

Yamaguchi’s breath shuddered as he stared at the floor, his face scrunching as a tendril of sweat tickled its way down from his forehead.

“Keep breathing, nice and deep,” Kageyama’s deep voice said beside him, and Yamaguchi gave a slight gasp as he felt a warm hand on his soaked back. He closed his eyes and obeyed, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. It immediately helped him work through the pain, but his limbs were beginning to tremble.

“K-Kageyama… I’m not sure how much more I can handle.”

“Ok, go ahead and rest.”

Yamaguchi dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, not even caring how undignified it must have looked. He never would have imagined holding such a simple position like a plank would work out so many different muscles.

“You do these every time?” He asked, slipping his face to the side so he could look at Kageyama. He frowned when he saw Kageyama was doing his own plank set with hardly any trembling or sweat forming on his skin. His frown eased, however, when his gaze traveled over Kageyama’s biceps straining against his shirt sleeves.

“Yamaguchi?”

“Huh?”

“I told you I do at least three sets, but you looked dazed and didn’t seem to hear me. Go drink some water.”

“Oh, right.”

Yamaguchi scrambled to his feet and walked across the room where his water bottle was sitting in the corner. They were in Kageyama’s living room, but it was set up in a way that they could easily work out with a set of weights and bands in the corner. He had met Kageyama’s parents earlier, and he was amazed at how open and friendly they seemed. Not that he minded Kageyama’s surly nature, but he couldn’t help but wonder what led him to be that way. There were many things he wanted to know about him, but so often Yamaguchi kept his lips pinched tight, worried that he would push his friend too far.

A warm hand rested against his forehead and Kageyama’s steel-blue eyes drew him from his reverie like a bucket of ice water.

“Did I push you too hard? Don’t feel bad saying something, you need to work your way up.”

“Oh, no! Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts.”

“Do you… do you want to talk about it?” Kageyama said, his voice hesitant as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, the truth is, I was just thinking that I don’t know much about you.”

Kageyama’s eyebrows pinched together. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything, though just now I was thinking why you’re so different from your parents. You usually seem a bit angry, but maybe that’s just your reaction to Hinata,” Yamaguchi snickered and felt a surge of confidence as Kageyama’s lips turned up slightly.

“He does piss me off. I don’t know, I guess I used to be different. I changed a bit in middle school when the pressure of following in Oikawa-san’s footsteps got to me. Instead of drawing out my team’s best I just expected them to be good enough. It took me a long time to really understand the difference, and surprisingly it was Oikawa-san who helped me understand… though I don’t think he really wanted to teach me anything.”

“You have changed a lot from last year, matured I mean.”

Kageyama’s smile slipped, his eyes widening as he gazed back at Yamaguchi. “You think so?”

Yamaguchi laughed. “Of course! Everyone has, I think. Can you imagine Tsukishima admitting that he had a crush on Hinata last year?”

Kageyama huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “No way. I still can’t believe he did now, it’s so weird.”

Yamaguchi tucked some hair behind his ear, feeling his cheeks grow warm at seeing how easily Kageyama’s smile had been slipping on lately. Last year his smile was almost frightening, but then it had been forced on in an attempt to connect with the team better. This smile was natural and surprisingly gentle as the conversation flowed between them, and Yamaguchi felt himself wanting to keep it a secret from the whole world. Should the girls in Kageyama’s class see him like that he would receive dozens of confessions a day for sure. But Kageyama already had someone on his mind. The thought gripped into his stomach and dropped his mood instantly.

“So, speaking of which… do you think you’ll confess to the person you like?”

Kageyama cocked his head and thought for a moment as his eyes studied Yamaguchi closely.

“I’m not sure, do you think I should?”

Yamaguchi winced and looked away. He wanted to influence him to give up and try _him_ instead, but that would be the most selfish thing to say. He remembered how excited Kageyama looked when he said they were friends, to abuse that would be pure evil.

“Yes, I think so. Like I said, I can’t imagine them refusing you,” He said, his voice quiet and his eyes still unable to look up at Kageyama. “Even if they’d be crazy enough to refuse you, at least then you would know and could move--”

Suddenly Kageyama slammed his hand against the wall above Yamaguchi’s head with so much force there was a crack in the panel. Yamaguchi flinched with a yelp and jerked his head back to see Kageyama staring down at him with lethal intensity.

“Tobio! What was that noise?” Kageyama’s mother called from the kitchen, and Kageyama blinked with fear flickering behind his eyes.

“Um, I dented the wall again. Sorry Mom!”

“Tch, that’s the second time this year! I’m going to build you a room made of padded walls for you to release your hormonal frustrations in.”

Kageyama gulped and withdrew his hand, inspecting the damage. Yamaguchi was still, watching him closely while he scanned his memory for anything he might have said to spur Kageyama to such an outburst. In front of him Kageyama cleared his throat and this time set his other hand against the wall with not nearly as much force.

“Did I say something to upset you?”

“No, why?”

“Then why did you punch the wall?”

“Oh, kabedon. This is how it’s done, right? Should I lean more?” Kageyama asked as he stepped forward and Yamaguchi could feel the heat radiating off his body. He nearly didn’t catch what Kageyama had just said as his mouth went dry.

“Kabe--kabedon?! Why are you--?” Yamaguchi’s words were lost as Kageyama slipped his free hand under Yamaguchi’s chin, tipping it up with a gentle nudge.

“I’m not really good with words, but I like you, Yamaguchi. I realized after you said you were my friend, I appreciated it, but it didn’t feel like enough. Will you go out with me?”

Yamaguchi’s mouth dropped open. His eyes fluttered as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that Kageyama was saying _those_ words to him. Kageyama watched him in silence, waiting, until he began to lean away. With a gasp Yamaguchi grabbed onto his shirt, keeping him from going any further.

“Yes! I mean, I like you too.”

“You do?” Kageyama asked, his face lighting up and sending Yamaguchi’s heart into convulsions.

“Yeah, definitely.”

They both stopped talking, basking in the moment and wondering what should happen next. Slowly Kageyama began to lean in again, his hand guiding Yamaguchi’s chin even higher. Yamaguchi instinctively opened his lips and wetting them with a flick of his tongue. His fingers clenched around Kageyama’s shirt as his eyes closed expectantly.

“Tobio, is Yamaguchi-kun staying for-- Oh!”

They both flinched as Kageyama’s mother stood in the doorway, her hand in front of her mouth and the next moment she ran away, her sputtering laughter echoing through the hall.

“Mom!”

“I saw nothing!”

Kageyama stared at the open doorway, looking like his life was over. Yamaguchi’s giggles pulled his eyes back, instantly relaxing since his brand-new boyfriend didn’t seem as embarrassed as he was.

“I actually need to get going, I need to study right after dinner.”

“Maybe another night you can stay for dinner, one when you don’t need to study… if you can tolerate my mother’s teasing, of course,” Kageyama said, wincing while he thought about how much he’d have to endure on his own that evening.

“I’d like that.”

Yamaguchi gave his shirt a light tug and pressed his lips against Kageyama’s. He only had time to blink before the kiss was over and Yamaguchi scurried past him to the door.

“Um, I’ll see you tomorrow… at school!”

Kageyama was still stunned as he heard Yamaguchi slip on his shoes, grab his things and bolt out the door. His lips were still hot from where Yamaguchi’s were nestled against them. He wanted to shove his head through a wall for not reacting sooner, grabbing him and kissing him deeper.

A movement from the doorway caught his attention, and he focused to see his mother standing there, leaning against the door jamb with a smirk to rival a fox sitting on her lips.

“So… is _working out_ a code word for something different nowadays? Because I can work with that.”

Kageyama groaned, turning to face the wall and plastering his face against it in despair.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon that Kageyama is maybe 2 thirds awkward 1 third smooth as hell... but maybe the smooth part is a little less, ha ha ha.  
> I capped it at 8 chapters, not sure when the next update will come. Sorry for the wait!! I hope you all enjoyed it :)


	8. Chapter 8

Tsukishima leaned against the wall outside his last classroom as he, Yamaguchi and Yachi waited for the idiot duo of the first years. It hadn’t taken long for Yachi to pick up on the dynamic changes between them all and couldn’t help giggling whenever they all met together during the day. They had yet to break the news to the rest of the team, something Tsukishima wasn’t looking forward to at all. To him it was none of their business, but he had a feeling his new boyfriend wouldn’t feel the same way.

“Tsukishimaaaaaaaa!” A voice loud enough to wake the dead echoed through the hallway, and he cringed as he saw Hinata barreling through the crowds toward him with his arms open wide. At the last moment he lunged his hand out and smacked it against Hinata’s forehead while Hinata’s arms grappled at the air, unable to reach Tsukishima's sides. As embarrassed as Tsukishima was, he couldn’t help snickering at Hinata’s inability to push forward any further or think of any other alternative to the situation.

“Tsukki, let me hug you!”

“No, this is much more enjoyable.”

Hinata’s arms stopped reaching and fell to his sides with a plop. Tsukishima could literally feel the scowl against his palm and felt a puff of hot air against his forearm as Hinata let out a harsh sigh.

“I was really curious how you’d be as a boyfriend, Tsukishima-kun… I don’t know why I’m even surprised,” Yachi said, wincing in sympathy at his pint-sized boyfriend still stuck to his hand.

“It’s not my fault he forgot the simple rules I gave him while interacting with me at school.”

“You gave him rules?” Yamaguchi asked, smirking up at his friend.

“Yes, first and foremost: _no PDA_ ,” Tsukishima said as he gave Hinata’s head a light squeeze. Hinata swatted his hand away and glared up at him. Tsukishima knew that Hinata could be intimidating occasionally, particularly when it came to volleyball and winning. At that moment, however, his pout in conjunction with the red handprint on his forehead made Tsukishima burst out in laughter.

“Shut up, Tsukki. It’s like you don’t even want to be my boyfriend,” Hinata huffed as his eyes trailed down to the floor, crossing his arms tight against his chest. Tsukishima quieted down, immediately sensing the slight hurt in Hinata’s voice. He pressed his lips together as he tried to think of how to smooth it over.

On one hand, he really didn’t want to give in and be one of _those_ couples, the ones all disgustingly open about their relationship. But he knew he’d have to bend a little bit so Hinata wouldn’t have any doubts that he wanted to be with him. Tsukishima’s eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head, and he leaned down towards Hinata until his lips were hovering beside his ear.

“I’m sorry,” He said softly, and he heard Hinata’s breath hitch as his shoulders tensed slightly. “If I spoke to you here like I do in private, are you sure you’d be able to handle it?” As he purred the words into Hinata’s ear, he slipped his hand through Hinata’s soft curls at the base of his head, his pinky tickling his neck. Starting from the tops of Hinata’s ears his skin began to blossom a light pink.

Encouraged by Hinata’s honest reaction, Tsukishima decided to push it further. He brushed his lips against his ear, letting his breath slip over the sensitive skin and immediately Hinata’s shoulders rose up as he emitted a squawk. Tsukishima chuckled and slid his hand from Hinata’s hair and down his back, not stopping until it was just below the waistband of his pants.

“You really want a little PDA… _Shoyou_?” He breathed Hinata’s name, and his boyfriend shivered under his palm.

“You’re so mean,” He spat as he gave Tsukishima a shove, but he could see how bright red Hinata’s face was even as he tried to hide inside his jacket. Tsukishima chuckled, wanting to tease him a bit further when he noticed Yamaguchi and Yachi gawking at him.

“What?”

“Are you sure you don’t enjoy flirting in public, Tsukki?”

“I live to tease my boyfriend, so if it’s a viable way to do so I might indulge once in a while,” He said with a shrug, and Yamaguchi snorted in response. Yachi shook her head, but she was trying hard not to smile.

Suddenly a dark presence appeared behind Yamaguchi, who flinched but instantly relaxed when he saw it was just his own boyfriend. Kageyama seemed nonchalant as he sipped on his milk and threw an arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Yamaguchi smiled and played with his bag strap, unable to look anyone in the eye.

“Shouldn’t we get to practice?” Kageyama said and frowned once he spotted Hinata hiding in his coat. “Hinata, you dumbass, what are you doing?”

“Leave me alone, Bakageyama!” Hinata’s muffled voice slipped from his jacket.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and wrapped his own arm around Hinata’s shoulder’s, turning him around so they could make their way down the hallway.

“For once _the King_ is right, we need to get to practice.”

Kageyama’s eyebrows dropped dangerously low, but he felt Yamaguchi’s fingers play with one of his jacket buttons.

“Just ignore him. He’s growing up little by little.”

Yachi nearly gasped as Kageyama’s face softened, trading the furrowed eyebrows for a warm smile that didn’t look frightening at all.

“Hey, I, uh, bought you this,” Kageyama said quietly, fishing another milk out of his bag and handed it to Yamaguchi.

“Thanks! I felt like I needed something before practice. Speaking of which, we should go. You coming Yachi?”

“Oh, um, not yet. I need to hang up more posters around the school.”

“Alright, see you at the gym,” Yamaguchi said cheerfully as he pulled Kageyama after him by the hand.

Yachi watched in amusement as the two couples made their way down the hall; Yamaguchi and Kageyama sipping on their matching milks in silence with occasional glances at each other, and Tsukishima wrapping his arm completely around Hinata’s face while the other flailed his arms around blindly.

“Hey, Yacchan, there you are!”

Yachi turned at the sound of Tanaka’s voice echoing through the hallway that had been cleared of most students. Tanaka’s jacket was open revealing his white T-shirt underneath, and his hands were shoved in his pockets as he hopped toward her. It still amazed her how frightened she used to be of her brash senpai when she first joined the club. Now quite a lot of other feelings flooded her whenever she saw him, but she shoved those thoughts away quickly before her face turned as red as Hinata’s.

“Hi, Tanaka-senpai! Did you need me?”

“Yup, Ennoshita said you had the posters ready. He said you’d finish hanging them a lot quicker if I helped.”

“But, what about practice?!”

Tanaka threw back his head and laughed.

“I need to give those rascals a chance to get some hits in before I join them. It’s hard competing with the ace, you know!”

Yachi giggled into her hand, knowing Hinata had no difficulty even when Tanaka was present.

“I see. Well, here’s half of them. If you could spread them out over the 3rd year’s floor that would be a big help.”

Tanaka took half the stack and glanced down at the top sheet. His eyes widened and flickered around as they soaked in every detail.

“Damn, these look good! How are you already a professional when you’re only a 2nd year in high school?”

“Wha-- No, no, I’m not a professional! My mom is though, she gives me tips. I’m glad you like them though,” Yachi stammered, feeling her face grow boiling hot. She gasped as Tanaka’s warm hand rubbed the top of her head gently.

“Kiyoko-san did well when she chose you as the next manager! Before you came along I didn’t think it could get any better, but boy was I dumb!”

Yachi let out a squeak instead of coherent words, but Tanaka didn’t seem to mind as a smirk crept up his face and leaned in toward her.

“Hey, Yacchan… wanna race?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s see who can hang up posters faster! Last one to the gym is a rotten egg!” He laughed as he took off down the hallway, leaving Yachi more frazzled than ever as she hid her blushing face in a pile of announcement posters. She’d been observing the gradual change in her fellow first years’ relationships with curiosity and amusement, but most of all she felt proud of them for being honest with their feelings.

Yachi drew in a deep breath and lifted her head from her papers, staring at the empty hallway in front of her. She rushed forward and began pinning posters left and right on every board she could find. Perhaps beating Tanaka in their poster race could be one step closer to getting his attention, and maybe one day his affection. At the thought of receiving Tanaka’s affection, Yachi tripped over her feet and most of the papers fluttered into the air.

_Well… maybe there are other options_ , she thought as she scrambled to her feet and grappled through the downpour of posters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Trademark: Always introducing a brand new rare ship at the very end of a story like a bomb  
> Ha ha ha, I hope you all enjoyed it! Even though they were basically drabbles these were incredibly hard for me to crank out as opposed to my other WIP's... I assume because there wasn't much plot to push it forward.   
> I do have a new [TsukiHina](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14907332/chapters/34528811) story I just started that's a multichapter futuristic fic. The style's more in line with what I usually do, so don't forget to check it out! *shameless plug* :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not quite sure yet how I'll develop this one, it mind end up being more free form or episodic with micro-chapters that gradually develop their relationship...I'm not really in the mood to do an in depth story while I'm doing As the Crow Sails, it uses too much brain power, lol.


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